Please join us for the plenary address of the Institute for Practical Ethics’ Ethics and Social Implications of Gene Drive Conference. This year’s speaker is Professor Ronald Sandler of Northeastern University, who will speak on “The Ethics of Using Gene Drives in Conservation.” Abstract: The idea of engineering genetic changes into wild populations in order to pursue conservation aims is gaining proponents. The gene editing techniques that underlie this possibility are developing quickly. They are much more powerful than prior technologies, in the sense of increasing the range of ways and ease with which humans can intentionally modify the biological world at the genomic level. What is not developing nearly so fast is the capacity to analyze and evaluate the significance of adopting these technologies in conservation contexts. The aim of this talk is to provide a framework for identifying the full range of ethical issues associated with the new conservation possibilities that synthetic genomics, and gene drives in particular, provide. Ronald Sandler is a professor of philosophy, Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion, and Director of the Ethics Institute at Northeastern University. His primary areas of research are environmental ethics, ethics and emerging technologies, ethical theory, and Spinoza. A recipient of Northeastern University’s Excellence in Teaching Award, he is the author of many books and articles. His most recent book is Environmental Ethics: Theory in Practice (New York, NY: Oxford University Press).